Chapter 54: The Scorned Daughter

Li Zerui hadn’t originally intended to make a special trip. It was, after all, just a minor school beauty pageant, and the time he spent traveling here could have been used to close several lucrative business deals.

But how could he resist, when his own precious daughter was a contestant!

He even went so far as to leverage his connections, directly contacting Zhou Qiang, the head of YaHu Live. He requested that Zhou Qiang arrange for a team to live stream Li Zhongyi’s entire performance, creating a buzz that would accelerate her entry into the entertainment industry.

Li Zerui harbored no objections to his daughter’s aspirations of becoming a star; in fact, he wholeheartedly supported them. He believed his daughter possessed exceptional looks, making her perfect for stardom.

Moreover, what was so wrong with being a celebrity? It was a profession where talent spoke for itself!

Coupled with his substantial wealth, he was confident he could elevate his daughter to prominence.

Lost in these thoughts, Li Zerui immediately scanned the crowd for his daughter after concluding his conversation with Zhou Qiang.

However, after a thorough search, he found no trace of her.

What could have happened?

“Excuse me, student, do you happen to know Li Zhongyi?”

“Li Zhongyi? Yes, I know her. The principal just reprimanded her, and she left right after receiving her number tag.”

“Reprimanded by the principal?”

“Yes, it was like this: earlier…”

When Li Zerui stopped a student, he had initially hoped to simply try his luck, to see if the student knew his daughter.

Yet, to his surprise, they actually did!

However, upon hearing that the principal of First High dared to scold Li Zhongyi, Li Zerui’s expression instantly darkened.

Just a few days prior, at the banquet table, the principal’s attitude had been entirely different.

What was this? Was he attempting to use the school beauty pageant as leverage, to demand a higher price?

“Are you saying Li Zhongyi had a conflict with two other students?”

“Yes, it was Bai Mengze and Ji Wenyan. I’m not entirely clear on the specifics, but it seemed like Li Zhongyi suspected Bai Mengze of seducing her boyfriend, and then Bai Mengze’s boyfri—”

“Where is Bai Mengze?”

“She’s right over there. The prettiest girl is Bai Mengze.”

As the enthusiastic student pointed in a certain direction, Li Zerui followed their gaze. Sure enough, he saw a beautiful girl engaged in conversation with a man, their proximity suggesting an intimate relationship.

Coupled with what he had just heard about Bai Mengze seducing someone else’s boyfriend, Li Zerui’s dislike for the girl intensified.

So young, yet so cunning.

Even with her pretty face, she possessed a venomous heart!

Such a person was utterly unfit to participate in the competition.

“Hmph, it’s girls like her who caused my daughter to be scolded…”

After the enthusiastic student departed, Li Zerui watched Bai Mengze and couldn’t help but let out a cold snort.

He himself never even had the heart to scold his daughter, and now, because of such a trivial matter, Li Zhongyi had been wronged. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

As he pondered this, Li Zerui grew increasingly displeased, wishing he could personally retaliate on Li Zhongyi’s behalf.

“Station Chief Zhou, I have something I need to attend to. Thank you for the water.”

Just then, as Station Chief Zhou approached with a cup of water, an idea suddenly sparked in Li Zerui’s mind.

He glanced around at the photographers filming with their phones. A few had already noticed Bai Mengze, their cameras now focused on her, live-streaming.

This brought a sudden smile to Li Zerui’s lips. He knew his plan could now be put into action.

While he couldn’t openly retaliate, he could administer a small punishment, making this girl named Bai Mengze understand that his daughter was not to be trifled with!

For instance, getting publicly drenched with water.

That would certainly be amusing.